Eyelet



Dec. 28,1926. 1,612,442

G. W. JACQUES EYELET Filed Feb. 25 1924 to turn back a portion ot, the end of the barrel.

atented Dec. 28, 1926. i

E STATES PA GEORGE W. JACQUES, OF NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ATLAS TACK CORPORATION, OF FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

QEYEIJET.

Application filed February 23, 1924. Serial No. 694,560.

This invention relates to eyelets, such, for example, as are used in shoes to receive the lacings, and while-not restricted to such use is particularly advantageous when the so-called blind or invisible eyelets are desired.

, As heretofore constructed the eyelet before being set has its barrel portion tapering hom the flange at one end toward the opposite end. During the machine setting operation it is presented to the work by a spindle which enters this barrel from its flange end and it is then forced through the hole punched in the work and into 00- operative relation to a setting surface. This setting surface engages the opposite end of the eyelet and by pressure exerted between this surface and one engaging the eyelet flange on the opposite side of the work the eyelet is set. This tapering barrel fails to give a firm bearing on the spindle or on the punch, which are of Substantially uniform outside diameter, thus permitting the'Twork to move during the setting operation and causing the eyelet to be improperly set therein, the setting devices bearing eccentrically on the eyelet and perhapsfailing According to this invention the end portion of the. barerl is formed of substantially uniform diameter, the barrel flaring outwardly trom this portion to the flange at a considerable .angle. The portion of the barrel which is of substantially uniform diameter properly alines the eyelet on the spindle and also on the punch practically to the completion of the setting operation, thus insuring a ainst movement of the work so that the eye at is properly presented between the setting devices which engage and set it uniformly about its circumference. The tapered portion of the. shank is of a more pronouncedv taper thaniin the eyelets as heretofore coonly constructed. so that the portion of substantially uniform diameter may be of relatively small diameter, thus permitting the use of a small diameter punch while insuring a sufliciently large opening in the eyelet to readily pass the lace therethrough.

vWhen blind eyelets are to be employed, that is, where the eyelets are set: in one or more layers of material on which'is supper: posed another layer having no eyelet ut merely having holesin axial alinement with the holes of the eyelets beneath, the use of a relativelysmall punch is, particularly desirable in order to present small clean cut holes in the superposed layer.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a detail section through eyelet setting devices showing their relation to the Work When the work has been punched and an eyelet of the type of the present invention is about to be set.

F igure 2 is a similar view showing the eyelet partly set.

- Figure '3 is a similar view showing the completion of the setting operation.

Figure 4 is a perspective showing one form of eyelet after it has been set.

Figure 5 is a section through work showing the relative sizes of the hole and the eyelet opening when the-eyelet is set blind or invisi le.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, 'l indicates a spindle slidable axially of a setting device 2,-this spindle being designated to enter thebarrel 3 of an eyelet 4?: and present it to work having one or more layers 5'through which the eyelet is to be set and a superposed layer 6 in which it is desired to have'a hole in alinement with the axis of the eyelet. (lo-operating with the spindle 1 and the setting device. 2 is an upper combined punching and setting device 10. This device as shown comprises a punch portion 11 formed hollow tor the escape of the punchings from all the thicknesses of the material as shown at 12, and above the lower cutting'edge of this punch it flares" outwardly as shown at 13 to provide a surface acting when the setting elements are brought together to split and torceoutwardly the smaller end of the eyelet barrel to set the eyelet in the work. Above the surface 13 isa portion lt'of larger and substantially uniform diameter nesses as shown in Figure 1, the upper end of the-eyelet barrel is pushed through the hole left for it, the spindle 1 retracting as the punch enters the barrel as shown in Figure 2, and the upperend of the eyelet ion barrel then engages the surface 13 by which it is split and spread outwardly.

According to the present invention the eyelet 4 comprises a flange member 20 at one end of the barrel 3. The opposite end of the barrel is formed with a portion 21 of substantial length and of substantially uniform diameter extending inwardly to a predetermined point as shown in Figure 4. Between this portion 21 and the flange 20 the barrel flares outwardly for a substantial distance at a considerable angle as shown at 22 merging with the flange at one end and with the portion 21 at the other. This outwardly flaring portion is of a diameter adjacent the flange sufficient to produce the desired internal diameter of the eyelet after the eyelet has been set. The portion .21 of substantially uniform diameter bears substantially uniformly about the spindle 1 at the start of thesetting operation as shown in Figure 1 so that the eyelet is correctly alined by. the spindle insuring its correct presentation to the work and between the setting devices. The punch portion 11 is preferably formedslightly tapering so as to stretch the upper end of the eyelet barrel as it enters this barrel, but without splitting it, until it reaches the flaring portion 13 by which the splitting is effected as shown in Figure 2. As shoyvn also in this figure the spindle 1 is retracted to such an extent that it no longer engages the eyelet, but the portion 11 of the punch has fully entered the eyelet and so performs this centering operation. It is therefore impossible while the eyelet is being set for the work to be moved laterally relatively to the punching and setting mechanism, the eyelet being supported by the spindle, punch, or both, substantially to the completion of the setting operation in fixed relation to this mechanism so that this mechanism can not engage it eccentrically and fail to set it uniformly about its circumference. As the eyelet approaches its fully set position the splitting of the barrel passes from the portion 21 of substantially uniform diameter to the tapered portion 22, which is of sufficient length to insure this action, and the minimum internal diameter of the barrel thus becomes larger than the punch ortion 11 and the spindle 1 so that as final set only the outer margin of the flaring ortion of the punch portion 13 engages t e eyelet barrel as shown clearly in Figure 3. s The opening through the eyelet as set is thus appreciably larger than the external diameter of the punch portion 11 and still larger than the hole. formed by the punch in the work. The punching and setting'devices being then withdrawn, the hole inthe layer 6 which was so stretched as to pass up on the portion 1 1- return substantially to its original diameter as shown at a in Figure 5, which is considerably less than that of the hole I) of'the eyelet. It will be noted that while the larger portion of the punch 14 passes through the layer 6 the size of the hole cut therein is that of the punch portion 11, the work being sufficiently resilient to stretch and permit the larger portion of thepunch to push its way through the material and to flow back after the punch has been removed to approximately the size made by the portion 11.

Having thus described certain embodiments of this invention it should be evident that modifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined 'by'the appended "claims.

I claim:

1. An eyelet having a barrel, and a flange at one end of said barrel, said barrel being of substantially uniform diameter adjacent to its free end and then flaring at a considerable angle toward said flange for a distance such that the portion of the eyelet split and turned outwardly when the eyelet is set includes a substantial part of said flaring portion, whereby the minimum internal diameter of said eyelet is substantially increased during the setting operation.

2. An eyelet having a barrel and a flange at one end of said barrel, said barrel having a portionof substantial length adjacent to its free end of substantially uniform diameter and acting to properly center the eyelet on a spindle snugly fitting therein prior to the setting of the eyelet, and said barrel having a flaring portion extending from said substantial parallel portion to said flange, said flaring portion being of such length that a substantial portion thereof is split and turned back when the eyelet is set whereby the minimum internal diameter of the eyelet when set is substantially larger than the external diameter of the spindle.

3. An eyelet adapted to be set between a combined punch and set and a set having a retractible spindle of substantially the diameter of the punch which comprises a bar-' flaring outwardly from said uniform diameter portion to said flange for a suflicient distance so that a portion thereof is turned during the setting operation whereby the hole in the eyelet as set is of greater diameter than said punch.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

GEORQE WfiTKCiQUES. 

